Toradora!: Penny Royal Tea
by Lord LupinVII
Summary: The next generation Toradora love story is upon us with a brand new cast of characters to explore, all with a certain musical twist. Watch as the music club's love of music bring them all closer, maybe even in ways they never expected. Slightly more adult than the original series.


**HELLO!, what's up guys my name is LordeLupinVII, and I will try my best to establish a next**

**generation Toradora storyline, this one is waaaay! more adult so if that's a problem maybe the story isn't for you, this is also the first time I will be doing a romance story, so bear with me guys if you have any questions or suggestion PM me or give me a quick review I'd love to hear what you guys think or how I'm doing. As Always – LordeLupinVII**

**CHAPTER ONE: WELCOME TO TOKYO!**

The polluted Japan air, exuded throughout the Sunday afternoon skyline, citizens in Shibya station were commuting, and carrying on with the daily hustle and bustle of their busy city lives. Men and women traveling to the big crowded buisness buildings, the sounds of car horns in daily Tokyo traffic rang throughout the area like background noises.

"Excuse, me, forgive me", "Hey, watch it!" A young woman shouted as she tried to squeeze

between the busy commuters. The woman was in her mid-20's and had short, wavy, purple hair. She eventually reached her meeting place where she stood hunched over trying to catch her breath, from the sprint she took to get there. That is until she coughed from the smell of cigarette fumes clutching

her lungs, she then took a look up and saw him her 16 year old brother. Ren Kimura had a certain air

about him that exuded his nonchalant attitude perfectly. Just like that of his sister they had the same trademark purple hair, but in terms of personality the two couldn't be anymore different from each other

"You just gonna stand there, with that stupid look on your face or are you gonna help me with

this stuff?" Ren muttered to his sister as she stood there with a distracted look on her face

"Oh, sorry, silly me I'm always so spacy you know that" she retorted "Well, I guess that's one way to put it" Ren replied as he grabbed his bags and followed his sister to her car, Ren's sister Hikari

was so excited to see her kid sister once again as she hadn't seen him since the last time she visited him and their now deceased grandmother. But all the excitement escaped her body as saw his sour expressions towards seeing her again. "You, know cigarettes will kill you right?" Hikari striked up knowing full well it might pinch a nerve she was still wary of his health. "Yeah, so can a loaded gun, but people still shoot don't they?" Ren countered as he loaded his bags in his sister's red Camry

"Well, yeah, but if you keep smoking your teeth will turn green and girls won't wanna kiss you!" Hikari responded in a playful dragged out tone. Ren put his cigarette out on the ground and smiled at his sister "Happy now?" and got in the car and slammed the door shut, Hikari sighed and entered her driver's seat, but she couldn't help but wonder how her brother had gotten that way. He was always a different person when he got around his sister, she was now more upset than ever at missing so much time in his life. 20 minutes into the drive there was nothing but complete silence being the bubbly person she was she had to break the ice

"So, I see you brought your guitar, you still play, right?" Hikari pryed at the teen contemplating in the backseat. "Yeah, of course" he responded lightly "That's good, I remember how Nan-Nan used to

praise your playing, like you were one of the Beatles or something, but hey you really do have talent" Ren made a irritated expression at his sister and said "I appreciate the complement but..." there was a

pause in his sentence so Hikari interrupted "But?" "But, I don't think you should be remniscing on a person who died less than a week ago, not only that but a person's who's funeral you didn't even show up for?" Hikari swallowed her spit and had to calm herself as her brothers comment made her want to curse at him or turn back and hit him with something, but she remained an adult took a breath and said

"You, know despite what it seems like, I really did miss you Ren" Ren smugly responded with

"I bet" the rest of the ride was taken in complete and total silence. The only thing that was racing was Ren's conscious mind, he knew he was being tough on his sister but he figured it was

necessary his grandmother Nan-Nan had recently lost her fight with cancer. But before she died

the only thing she wanted to do before she died was reunite the family as Hikari ran away with some guy on her 18th birthday. Nan-Nan and Hikari were arguing at the time about college amongst other things and she just ran away with her boyfriend and the only times Ren got to see

her was when she needed money or felt sorry for herself, then she was even too much of a coward to show up to the funeral. He had mad up his mind long before the trip to Tokyo, long before he got there that tough love was the only way to get her off of her path of self- destruction. The somber ride continued until, they arrived at Hikari' s tiny 1502 apartment number it, was a tiny rinky-dink, 2-room apartment that was the norm in Tokyo, Hikari stared

at Ren for a brief moment with contempt with her steely, purple eyes that made Ren sigh with

shame as he was gathering his things from the trunk. "Hmm, I see looks like we'll have to play

the guilt game this year huh?" Ren said to himself Ren walked inside the tiny apartment that

had a cramped but cozy feeling to it. But living in Japan for his entire life had that effect on him.

"Where's Kiba?" Ren asked as he placed his box on the floor "Who?" Hikari responded with a

genuine look of confusion on her face, until her memory finally returned "Ohh, we broke up

along time ago, I thought I told you already" she said as she began walking towards the bathroom. "Yeah, I don't think, I would've forgotten something like you breaking up with your

so-called fiancee Ren sneered with his question as Hikari ran into the bathroom and closed

the door, Ren walked over and knocked on the door. "Go, away, your mean!" Hikari childishly moaned from the door "Sensitive, subject?" Ren said as he leaned up against the door

"Mhm, yeah, but I promise this new guy's really good and he might be the one Ren!" Hikari

excitedly responded "Are, you serious, that's what you said about the last one!, you can't seriously be that vapid!" Ren didn't mean to say all that but it was coming out almost as fast

as he thought it. "Ren, your being mean again, I know things are different now, but I'm really

gonna try" Ren felt he could sense determination in her voice he still reluctantly said "I, know

I'm sorry (sigh) but those are just words and actions, always speak louder than words" Hikari

bit her lips she hate to admit but he was right.

Ren went into his room and began setting things up to his liking, An hour had past since his "argument" with his sister, he was getting adjusted the bed was just the perfect

size, he brought out his guitars to put each one of them in their respective stands. Ren owned

a Fender Jaguar the same as his idol Kurt Cobain, and a Fender Telecaster, the Telecaster was

like his baby it was the fist guitar he'd ever own and he worked that whole summer just to afford

it. Ren looked at his hands and remembered the first sores that appeared on his hands when he

first learned to play guitar, he thought of them as love marks. He was weird that way, Ren

opened a box and found his posters, his Pearl Jam poster to be exact, the only thing he was missing was nails and a hammer. "Hey where's the hammer and the nails!" Ren called out

loudly "Under the kitchen cabinet" Hikari answered back "Weird place for that to be?" Ren said

to himself as he walked to go grab the utensils. Ren walked into the kitchen as his sister walked

in front of him trying to get her sapphire earrings in. She was dressed nicely in a long pink

colored summer dress with a moderate amount of jewelry and makeup on with a white jacket.

"You getting laid tonight, be safe okay?" Ren poked to get the busy Hikari out of her routine

as she was completely ignoring him. "Haha, very funny, but no, no sex on the job and shouldn't

I be the one telling you that" Hikari smiled finishing her hair "C'mon we're both grown-ups here

but just where do you work a brothel?" Ren poked again "Uh, do I really look that much like

a hooker ooh, I must look nice" Hikari's smile grew larger "But, no sorry I work at the hotel

as an attendant, I get extra tips when I dress like this" Hikari cheekily responded "Well, I didn't know people could sell their dignity too" Ren kept teasing "Ren, your surprisily funny when

your not being a jerk, anyways the Hotel's number is on the desk, food's in the fridge if you

get hungry, it's leftover McDonalds, I gotta go, don't stay up too late school starts tomorrow"

Hikari motherly explained as she approached the door and took off. "Wait, a minute leftover

McDonalds (sigh), guess I'll have to cook" Ren walked over to the fridge and took a look

inside, well I can probably make onigiri and yakisoba, okay so where's the apron?" Ren spent

a good minute or two searching for an apron until he found one in the cabinet with the hammer

it was pink but so much dust and dirt covered it now had a second gray tone to it.

"Damn, it looks like this thing hasn't been used in years, knowing Hikari it probably hasn't"

Ren took his time and cooked the meal he was hoping to make he even saved enough for his

sister. Ren sat down and enjoyed his meal once it was finished. He was thinking about how far

away he was from his former home in Okinawa, no "former" was the wrong word, that place

will always be his home. After awhile he decided to finish putting up his posters until his

stomach let him know he was hungry again, "Jeez, I just ate, I think some dessert is in order

don't you think so stomach?" Ren then facepalmed at the fact that he talked to his stomach

and went back to the fridge. "Nope, nothing I can make some sweets with, guess I'll just

have to deal,( sigh) now I'm depressed, need to go smoke" Ren put on his jacket and walked

outside to sit on his steps. Ren saw the beautiful night sky and for what he thought was the

first time in his life could see the moon. It seemed eerie yet majestic at the same time he

he wondered how such a thing could be, he was always thinking too deeply into things

Nan-Nan called him "inquisitive", but he felt like he just worried himself too much. Ren took

out his pack of Seven Stars menthol brand of cigarettes, grabbed his lighter and as he inhaled

the smoke his tensions were lifted. He knew smoking was bad, but one day he was having what

he thought was the worst day ever, it wasn't, but a friend decided to help ease his tension. But

Ren like many others didn't know he'd become hooked, besides how could other people tell him

how to run his life?, it's his one life to live after all. Ren was relaxing and taking in the

atmosphere when a girl with pink hair was passing by she was on the phone yelling, and the yelling turned into crying. She walked directly in front of his steps , despite the fact that he was smoking. And asked in a saddened tone "Can I sit here for a second" "Well, I don't know

can you?" Ren teased the girl sat down and rubbed her eyes and began making a sobbing noise

to go along with the crying. Unfourtunately for her the puppy noise began to irritate and annoy Ren. "Hey can you quit it with the crying?, it's really start to bug me" Ren spat

"S-Soryy..I-I'll tra, tra try to, to keep it down" the girl said trying to hold in her pain, but she

still made yelping noise "Ughh, let me guess, boyfriend troubles?" Ren guessed"Ya-Yeah,

how'd you know" "Call it women's intuition" Ren joked "But your a guy, aren't you"

"Just hand me your damn phone" Ren demanded "Okay" the girl handed over her pink

flip-phone "What's this dick's name?" Ren asked "Ikki" she responed with a confused look.

Ren dialed the number and waited for a response. "What's your name?" "Ai"

Ikki answered the phone and began talking "Listen, Ai," "No, how about you listen douchebag

Ai, doesn't need you anymore she's going out with me now, and all the stuff she told you she

would never do, she did for me on our first date, so don't bother calling back unless you want

me to come kick your ass!" "Shit, I'm sorry, I didn't know dude" Ikki responded completely

shocked "Well, now you do" Ren hung up and gave the phone back to Ai, who began clapping

and immediately felt better. "That was amazing, thank you so much, I feel a lot better now"

"I don't know anything about your relationship, but I'm sure whatever happened wasn't your

fault" Ren wisely expressed "He cheated on me" she responed making Ren pause with

a sudden silence "Well that sucks" Ren sypathized "How can I repay you?" she asked

"Well, you could give me some gummy bears, I am completely low on sweets right now and

I could use a sugar rush" Ren asked "Then it's settled, the next time I see you I'll have a jumbo

bag of delicious gummy bears for you, right now I have to, go before my parents decide to

kick my ass" She said with a joyous smile across her face "Yeah, that would suck more" Ren

chuckled to himself "Haha, your funny, well anyways, see ya" the girl said as she walked away

into the night. Ren began to enter the door, he looked up at the starry sky

"Ya Know, for the bad that I do at least I can finally do one good thing Grandma" Ren walked

inside and closed the door behind him. He then went straight to bed

Ren woke up early to the sound of a low-pitched wail. "Reeennnnn!, your gonna be late!"

the familiar voice was none other than his sister who had returned home from work in the

middle of the night. "Shit, she's right" Red sprinted into the bathroom to catch a shower

and fix his purple bedhead. He walked out the bathroom once he was finished and saw

his usual happy-go-lucky sister looking, awful with messy hair and tons of bags under

each eye. But she still had a cheerful smile as she handed him toast and his new uniform

"Here put this on, you don't have time to eat it here" she looked up into his eyes

"Uh, thanks...I guess" Ren assured as he grabbed his I-pod and Bose headphones and charged

for the door "Don't, slam!.. the!" **CRASH **"Doooor, ouchhhh!, my head is ringing" Hikari

complained as she fell back first to lie on the ground. "Ohh, I didn't even get a chance to wish

him a good first day, being hungover hurts" Hikari complained as she placed her head

back. "Hey Mr.?, where's Aihara station, I'm a student" Ren said as he eyed up an old man

on the street, Ren had been caught in the rush of Tokyo commuter traffic and he was

overwhelmed. "Ah, I know that school crest, ya know I used to go that school, we were some

crazy kids, say have you ever heard of the legend of the lucky palmtop tiger?" The old

man piqued "Listen geezer, I ain't got time to listen to folk tales or urban legends, I'm in a rush

here, so do you know or not?" Ren responded "Well, geez aren't you kids really impatient

these days?, head left on shikaku junction, it's right there on your left you can't miss it" Ren

was relieved by the man's directions "Thanks, old man, see you again" "Hey, kid if

you ever meet some one let them know right away!" The man warned "Okay, I will thanks

for the directions and the freaky comment" Ren put his headphones back on and followed

the man's directions and he made the next to late train to school, while on the train he decided

to relax by listening to a few pixies songs until he saw a strange girl with pink hair waving at him from a few seats down. Ren couldn't recognize her at first, but it was the girl from

yesterday and she was coming his way. "Hey, you!" The girl said with a perky smile on her face

"Yo, it's you crybaby-kun" Ren teased "Wow, it's only been a few hours since we met

and you've already given me a nickname like crybaby-kun, I don't know whether to be insulted

or flattered" Ai said playfully "Well, I call it like I see it, and you like to shed tears" Ren

explained "Hey, I called my friend last night, and she said she was gonna buy you a jumbo

jet worth of gummy bears for cheering me up last night and on top of that she's cute and

single" Ai pryed trying to get her friend a date "Sorry, but I'm genderless, I'm not a he

or she, I'm an it, I doubt your friend wants an it" Ren dodged "Oh, I had no idea you were

you know?"Ai prompted "I'm not gay if that's what you were gonna ask, it's just complicated"

Ren regressed "Oh, well this is all hypothetical anyway" Ai said "So many good things came

about from being hypothetical, the power of non-existence is strong" Ren rambled

"Sorry, but you kinda lost me" Ai explained with a smile "It's suppose to lose you, it's hypothetical"

"Your gonna, like our school, I promise there's no one bad in it at all, I think" Ai said as the

train prepared to reach their destination "Yeah, I get the feeling you don't do that very

often" Ren said as Ai got up from her seat and stared at the still sitting Ren "Do what?"

"Think" Ren teased "That's not nice" Ai croaked at Ren, but he stood up, put his hands

in his pocket and stared the girl intently in her eyes "Whoever said I was nice?"

**NEXT CHAPTER: CHAPTER 2: FIRST DAY**

**Let me know what you guys thought with a review or hit me up with a PM I'll be back**

** soon with the next chapter.**

** LordeLupinVII**


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